WASHINGTON -- National Geographic, the monthly magazine famed for its glossy photographs and stories from obscure corners of the world, is venturing into videogames.

The magazine announced on Tuesday that its first game, "Herod's Lost Tomb," would come out this month ahead of the December 2008 issue which features an article on the biblical figure known for his architectural exploits.

The game will be available for free online at nationalgeographic.com/channel and will also be downloadable for PCs, Macs and iPhones, National Geographic said in a statement.

National Geographic said "Herod's Lost Tomb" was the first in a number of "family-friendly" games it would publish this year.

Other titles include "National Geographic: Panda," "National Geographic: Africa" and "Sudoku Traveler: China."

It said it was partnering with Namco Bandai Games America and Sony Computer Entertainment to distribute the National Geographic-banded games on handheld devices and gaming consoles such as the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3.